Endeavour 43 Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Endeavour built 199 hulls through 1984. The 43 belongs to the company’s first generation of sailboats, which established the marque with straightforward shoal-draft designs, spacious accommodations, and—by the candid admission of period reviews—mediocre sailing performance. What the 43 lacks in upwind sparkle, it answers with volume, comfort, and a thoroughly practical construction record.

Design and Construction

Bob Johnson drew the 43 as a substantial center-cockpit cruiser with a 35-foot waterline, 14-foot beam, and 33,000-pound displacement. Its 12,000 pounds of internal lead ballast is encapsulated inside a keel molded integrally with the hull.

The hull is a single molded unit made from polyester resin, fiberglass woven roving, and multidirectional chopped-strand fiber. The deck and cockpit use the same combination and are molded as one piece. Plywood coring in the cabin top, deck, seats, and cockpit sole adds stiffness.

Endeavour molded the nonskid into the deck. The hull-to-deck joint consists of a stainless-steel-bolted flange coated with adhesive sealant, then capped with teak bedded in compound to provide a second measure of watertightness.

The rudder is a single piece of solid high-density foam under a fiberglass skin. Its solid stainless-steel post is welded to an internal steel blade and passes through the hull via a stuffing box. Below the waterline, copper wire electrically bonds the metallic fittings—a detail that reflects a methodical approach to corrosion control rather than an afterthought.

Rig and Sailing Characteristics

The 43 was offered in ketch and cutter configurations, with a sloop also listed among the rig options. Its spars are extruded 6061-T6 aluminum. The mainmast is keel-stepped through the cabin roof, while the mizzen is deck-stepped over a support post. Standing rigging attaches to stainless-steel chainplates through-bolted to sections of the hull with additional fiberglass reinforcement. Wire-and-Dacron halyards run externally for easy servicing.

The ratios tell much of the sailing story. A displacement-to-length ratio of 343.61 puts the boat firmly in the heavy category, while its sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 14 is frankly low. The shoal keel—quoted at 5 feet 3 inches in the builder’s specifications, reported by one owner as 6 feet, and listed in a review as 5 feet 6 inches—sacrifices windward ability but suits reaching and shallow-water cruising.

With 33,000 pounds of displacement, the 43 has a comfortable, very dry motion. One reviewer reported dragging a spreader in the waves twice, after which the boat came upright without trouble. That same heft also brings enough weather helm to frustrate windvanes. Off the wind, the broad stern tends to get pushed around in following seas, although one Pacific voyager notably did not experience that behavior.

Accommodations

Johnson’s brief called for a roomy, two-stateroom center-cockpit layout. The result sleeps at least six in a forward V-berth, an aft stateroom, and the saloon settees. Owners consistently praise the comfortable, well-styled quarters and their healthy 6 feet 7 inches of headroom.

The aft stateroom is a particular favorite, with a transverse queen berth, cedar-lined locker, drawers, and private head. In the saloon, starboard settees face port-side captain’s chairs, with a fold-up table between them. The boat also has a forward-facing navigation station and a port-side galley with a double sink, Adler-Barbour refrigeration, and a gimbaled three-burner oven.

A passageway along the port side of the engine room leads aft. It includes lockers and either a workbench or pilot berth. Storage is so generous that one source called “ample” an understatement.

Varnished teak, soft-white overheads, and a parquet sole bonded to the hull finish the interior. Fourteen opening ports and four large deck hatches admit light and ventilation. The hatches are made from drop-forged aluminum and fitted with Lexan.

Machinery, Systems, and Tankage

Nearly every Endeavour 43 left the factory with a 62 hp Perkins 4-154 diesel. It drives a 1-1/4-inch stainless-steel shaft through a Hurth mechanical gearbox and turns a standard 18x18 two-blade bronze propeller; a three-blade propeller was optional.

The insulated engine sits under the companionway and is well accessed. An eight-kilowatt Onan generator is mounted forward of it.

The DC system uses two parallel 12-volt batteries with red/yellow coding. AC power comes from twin 30-amp shore-power lines or the generator at 115 volt. Pedestal steering operates through stainless-steel cables and a chain-and-sprocket quadrant on the rudder post.

Tankage consists of 175 gal of fuel, 200 gal of water, and a 34 gal holding tank.

Known Issues

The main handling concern is weather helm sufficient to make self-steering difficult, as one professional review found. The large stern can also be pushed around in following seas when sailing off the wind, though one Pacific voyager did not encounter that tendency.

Anecdotally, one owner’s boat was wrecked after pounding for 48 hours in surf on its return to Australia—a reminder that no high-volume cruiser is immune to the consequences of grounding.

The Verdict

The Endeavour 43 is a thoughtfully built, enormously habitable shoal-draft cruiser. Its weaknesses—soft upwind tracking, notable weather helm, and a stern that needs watching off the wind—are the direct price of its 33,000-pound comfort and Florida-friendly keel.

For sailors who value dry motion, plentiful storage, and a private aft suite more than racing around the buoys, it remains a sensible period choice.

Pros